Esther Carmen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Esther Carmen
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 8, 2022
This toolkit is the output of the Storytelling for Resilience knowledge exchange project, funded ... more This toolkit is the output of the Storytelling for Resilience knowledge exchange project, funded by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute in 2018-19 (https://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Programmes/OpenCall201819/StorytellingforResilience.aspx). Each of the stages found in this toolkit represents a stage from the workshop 'Using Narratives for Change', developed by Esther Carmen and Melissa Bedinger in collaboration with Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) working to support social change. This workshop was developed using knowledge from research and action spaces to help equip practitioners and researchers with skills to improve their narrative capacity: the ability to understand and work with narratives. This involved drawing on existing knowledge, for example from the Center for Story-based Strategy.<br>Along the way we learnt that narratives are messy and complex but also very powerful. At the same time, limiting our imagination may mean we overl...
Co-authorship contributions for each chapter submitted as a paper (chapters 2-4) are outlined bel... more Co-authorship contributions for each chapter submitted as a paper (chapters 2-4) are outlined below (see appendix 2 for statements of contribution). Chapter 2: I designed and undertook this research, gathering and analysing all data and writing 90% of this chapter. Other contributions came from the following; Professor Ioan Fazey (PhD supervisor) who provided guidance on the aspects of the research design (refining research questions and analytical approach), intellectual input (on the concept of resilience) and editing of multiple drafts.
Sustainability Science, 2021
Multiple factors are involved in community change processes, yet understanding how factors intera... more Multiple factors are involved in community change processes, yet understanding how factors interact to shape these complex social processed is limited. This has important implications for both research and sustainability practice. This study examines key social dynamics in establishing complex community change initiatives using an in-depth action-oriented transdisciplinary approach with a case study of the development of a community fridge. Four critical social dynamics were identified: reinforcing interpretations, reinforcing interconnections, re-alignment of identities, and quality social relations involving multiple normative facets converging and diverging in different ways as the process unfolded. Initially, this led to a degenerative dynamic that heightened tensions between actors; however, re-alignment with wider social identities and expressions of the underlying normative dimensions involved in the initiative, a regenerative dynamic was created. This strengthened the condit...
Sustainability Science, 2021
Energy Research & Social Science, 2020
Energy Research & Social Science, 2018
International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 2017
Ecosystem Services, 2017
The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years.... more The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years. However, there is no specific EU policy devoted to governing ecosystem services. This article shows that the ecosystem services concept is already embedded in recent EU (environmentally-related) policies, such as the Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and the Invasive Alien Species Regulation. Our review of 12 policies shows that, overall, the coherence between existing policies and the ecosystem services concept is moderate. Policies showing very high coherence are confined to the policy arenas that address natural ecosystems, forestry, or agriculture. Given the sectoral nature of most EU policies and the limited options for revision in the near future, opportunities for improving coherence are most apparent in furthering the integration of the ecosystem services concept in the implementation of existing EU policies at national and regional levels.
Science of the Total Environment, Nov 23, 2020
If we want to learn how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to embrace the complexity of ... more If we want to learn how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to embrace the complexity of this global phenomenon and capture interdependencies across scales and contexts. Yet, we still lack systematic approaches that we can use to deal holistically with the pandemic and its effects. In this Discussion, we first introduce a framework that highlights the systemic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of the total environment as a self-regulating and evolving system comprising of three spheres, the Geosphere, the Biosphere, and the Anthroposphere. Then, we use this framework to explore and organize information from the rapidly growing number of scientific papers, preprints, preliminary scientific reports, and journalistic pieces that give insights into the pandemic crisis. With this work, we point out that the pandemic should be understood as the result of preconditions that led to depletion of human, biological, and geochemical diversity as well as of feedback th...
This report provides a synthesis of argumentation analysis in real-world cases in “multi-level bi... more This report provides a synthesis of argumentation analysis in real-world cases in “multi-level biodiversity governance”, investigated within the BESAFE project. The following broad research questions guided the synthesis of argumentation analysis in the case studies: • Which (different types of) arguments can be identified at different levels and units of biodiversity governance? • How are these arguments exchanged and put to work in multi-level and networked interactions (i.e. within and across different levels and units of biodiversity governance)? • How are these arguments rooted in and how do they feed into different perspectives, worldviews and functioning of social groups or institutions at the different levels and units of biodiversity governance? The study’s approach to answering these questions is guided by a three layer analytical framework. This framework comprises three different perspectives to argument-making practice. Together these enable a comprehensive understandin...
This note offers key learning and questions arising from a number of research projects and initia... more This note offers key learning and questions arising from a number of research projects and initiatives focusing on community resilience in the context of climate change, in urban and rural contexts in Scotland and internationally (see page 4). In this note we have not sought to define resilience as we understand this term as having many interpretations. Similarly we have not attempted to document the implications of climate change on communities or social justice. Implicit in our learning is that a changing climate, and responses, presents major challenges and opportunities for communities, policy makers and those working across the two. The note highlights key learning which gives rise to critical questions that need to be addressed for that learning to be implemented in practice.
Based on the idea to make science more relevant to the solution of real-world problems, transdisc... more Based on the idea to make science more relevant to the solution of real-world problems, transdisciplinarity (TD) was established as a reflexive, integrative, method driven scientific principle aiming at the solution or transition of societal problems and concurrently of related scientific problems by differentiating and integrating knowledge from various scientific and societal bodies of knowledge (Lang et al., 2012). A key motivation for TD is to address the complexity inherent in many of these problems: as we cannot fully grasp all relevant complexity, we have to reduce complexity and to make choices; these choices are only to a (often very) limited extent purely technical of scientific, thus involvement of societal reflections and actors and arguments is legitimate (Keune et al., 2015). Similar to related approaches such as post-normal science citizens science, participatory approaches (for definitions please see the OpenNESS glossary), TD goes beyond multiand interdisciplinary r...
Aims and Objectives: This report presents findings from an action research project conducted in t... more Aims and Objectives: This report presents findings from an action research project conducted in the Scottish Borders between May 2015 and September 2016. The project aimed to:1) Support a local process of community change through building partnerships, learning and capacity building; and2) Understand the critical factors involved in facilitating the development of community resilience to climate change to draw out key levers for change nationally.The project was a collaboration between the University of Dundee, the Scottish Borders Council, Tweed Forum, Southern Uplands Partnership, International Futures Forum and the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences. It worked with three communities that had experience of flooding in the Borders council area and involved bringing together diverse organisations and community members in workshops and other activities.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 8, 2022
This toolkit is the output of the Storytelling for Resilience knowledge exchange project, funded ... more This toolkit is the output of the Storytelling for Resilience knowledge exchange project, funded by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute in 2018-19 (https://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Programmes/OpenCall201819/StorytellingforResilience.aspx). Each of the stages found in this toolkit represents a stage from the workshop 'Using Narratives for Change', developed by Esther Carmen and Melissa Bedinger in collaboration with Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) working to support social change. This workshop was developed using knowledge from research and action spaces to help equip practitioners and researchers with skills to improve their narrative capacity: the ability to understand and work with narratives. This involved drawing on existing knowledge, for example from the Center for Story-based Strategy.<br>Along the way we learnt that narratives are messy and complex but also very powerful. At the same time, limiting our imagination may mean we overl...
Co-authorship contributions for each chapter submitted as a paper (chapters 2-4) are outlined bel... more Co-authorship contributions for each chapter submitted as a paper (chapters 2-4) are outlined below (see appendix 2 for statements of contribution). Chapter 2: I designed and undertook this research, gathering and analysing all data and writing 90% of this chapter. Other contributions came from the following; Professor Ioan Fazey (PhD supervisor) who provided guidance on the aspects of the research design (refining research questions and analytical approach), intellectual input (on the concept of resilience) and editing of multiple drafts.
Sustainability Science, 2021
Multiple factors are involved in community change processes, yet understanding how factors intera... more Multiple factors are involved in community change processes, yet understanding how factors interact to shape these complex social processed is limited. This has important implications for both research and sustainability practice. This study examines key social dynamics in establishing complex community change initiatives using an in-depth action-oriented transdisciplinary approach with a case study of the development of a community fridge. Four critical social dynamics were identified: reinforcing interpretations, reinforcing interconnections, re-alignment of identities, and quality social relations involving multiple normative facets converging and diverging in different ways as the process unfolded. Initially, this led to a degenerative dynamic that heightened tensions between actors; however, re-alignment with wider social identities and expressions of the underlying normative dimensions involved in the initiative, a regenerative dynamic was created. This strengthened the condit...
Sustainability Science, 2021
Energy Research & Social Science, 2020
Energy Research & Social Science, 2018
International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 2017
Ecosystem Services, 2017
The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years.... more The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years. However, there is no specific EU policy devoted to governing ecosystem services. This article shows that the ecosystem services concept is already embedded in recent EU (environmentally-related) policies, such as the Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and the Invasive Alien Species Regulation. Our review of 12 policies shows that, overall, the coherence between existing policies and the ecosystem services concept is moderate. Policies showing very high coherence are confined to the policy arenas that address natural ecosystems, forestry, or agriculture. Given the sectoral nature of most EU policies and the limited options for revision in the near future, opportunities for improving coherence are most apparent in furthering the integration of the ecosystem services concept in the implementation of existing EU policies at national and regional levels.
Science of the Total Environment, Nov 23, 2020
If we want to learn how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to embrace the complexity of ... more If we want to learn how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to embrace the complexity of this global phenomenon and capture interdependencies across scales and contexts. Yet, we still lack systematic approaches that we can use to deal holistically with the pandemic and its effects. In this Discussion, we first introduce a framework that highlights the systemic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of the total environment as a self-regulating and evolving system comprising of three spheres, the Geosphere, the Biosphere, and the Anthroposphere. Then, we use this framework to explore and organize information from the rapidly growing number of scientific papers, preprints, preliminary scientific reports, and journalistic pieces that give insights into the pandemic crisis. With this work, we point out that the pandemic should be understood as the result of preconditions that led to depletion of human, biological, and geochemical diversity as well as of feedback th...
This report provides a synthesis of argumentation analysis in real-world cases in “multi-level bi... more This report provides a synthesis of argumentation analysis in real-world cases in “multi-level biodiversity governance”, investigated within the BESAFE project. The following broad research questions guided the synthesis of argumentation analysis in the case studies: • Which (different types of) arguments can be identified at different levels and units of biodiversity governance? • How are these arguments exchanged and put to work in multi-level and networked interactions (i.e. within and across different levels and units of biodiversity governance)? • How are these arguments rooted in and how do they feed into different perspectives, worldviews and functioning of social groups or institutions at the different levels and units of biodiversity governance? The study’s approach to answering these questions is guided by a three layer analytical framework. This framework comprises three different perspectives to argument-making practice. Together these enable a comprehensive understandin...
This note offers key learning and questions arising from a number of research projects and initia... more This note offers key learning and questions arising from a number of research projects and initiatives focusing on community resilience in the context of climate change, in urban and rural contexts in Scotland and internationally (see page 4). In this note we have not sought to define resilience as we understand this term as having many interpretations. Similarly we have not attempted to document the implications of climate change on communities or social justice. Implicit in our learning is that a changing climate, and responses, presents major challenges and opportunities for communities, policy makers and those working across the two. The note highlights key learning which gives rise to critical questions that need to be addressed for that learning to be implemented in practice.
Based on the idea to make science more relevant to the solution of real-world problems, transdisc... more Based on the idea to make science more relevant to the solution of real-world problems, transdisciplinarity (TD) was established as a reflexive, integrative, method driven scientific principle aiming at the solution or transition of societal problems and concurrently of related scientific problems by differentiating and integrating knowledge from various scientific and societal bodies of knowledge (Lang et al., 2012). A key motivation for TD is to address the complexity inherent in many of these problems: as we cannot fully grasp all relevant complexity, we have to reduce complexity and to make choices; these choices are only to a (often very) limited extent purely technical of scientific, thus involvement of societal reflections and actors and arguments is legitimate (Keune et al., 2015). Similar to related approaches such as post-normal science citizens science, participatory approaches (for definitions please see the OpenNESS glossary), TD goes beyond multiand interdisciplinary r...
Aims and Objectives: This report presents findings from an action research project conducted in t... more Aims and Objectives: This report presents findings from an action research project conducted in the Scottish Borders between May 2015 and September 2016. The project aimed to:1) Support a local process of community change through building partnerships, learning and capacity building; and2) Understand the critical factors involved in facilitating the development of community resilience to climate change to draw out key levers for change nationally.The project was a collaboration between the University of Dundee, the Scottish Borders Council, Tweed Forum, Southern Uplands Partnership, International Futures Forum and the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences. It worked with three communities that had experience of flooding in the Borders council area and involved bringing together diverse organisations and community members in workshops and other activities.